Instead of one venue, you now find two: a café on the ground floor and a bistro in the lower level (basement level). The strip of tables and chairs that normally occupy the
French windows along the Gaien-nishi-dori are now gone, leaving a barren space in its wake and an impression of an awkward space with which the proprietors do not know what to do. In what used to be a spiral staircase leading to the lower level, it is now a rectangular well of steps, crowned not with a usual chandelier but instead with a "chandelier of hanging slim tree trunks."
We came to dinner and had to decide which venue we would like to try. We went to inspect the bistro down under (clever use of a floor-to-ceiling mirror to give the illusion of a vast space), as well as looked at both menus; we decided first to try the café fare, sitting on the rez-de-chaussée (street level), partially to enjoy the company of three former staff members of the old Café des Pres who were re-employed by the Hiramatsu group.
The Café menu shrank considerably: in a tripartite A4-size menu, the food only occupy the left third; the drinks (alcohol and soft drinks) on the right two-third plus two-third of the other side. At opening, it offered two soups, four salads, two omelettes, three sandwiches, three plates offering (cheese, cold cuts, etc.), and five desserts. Price ranges from ¥400-¥2500, with drinks from ¥600-¥9000.
Our orders & verdicts:
Gazpacho de tomate (very good), Salade César (with actual tiny chunks of anchovies and slightly different-tasting caesar dressings), Sandwich parisien (ham and cheese on a soft-edged baguette, divided into four cuts, accompanied by four tiny ramekins of mayonaisse, ketchup, black olives, and cornichons; and French fries in the middle of the plate); Hamburger (here called the Brioche et boeuf grillé facon Burger, pommes Frites), which was just all right.
It did not take long for us to wonder why the Hiramatsu group had closed the Café des Pres and reopened as this more expensive Pourcel: because this is Tokyo, and they could and would get more profit, and if they could keep the customers satisfied, it would stay open for some time.
(We will insert the review of the Bistro once we return and sample the fare there. Return in the near future for the review.)
NEWS FLASH: HAPPILY I am posting that in 2008 Pourcel has closed to make way for the old CAFÉ des PRÈS (although some of the old cafe's offerings are not back on the menu; but the place has reverted to the casual cafe it used to be) Forget this review, but follow the info and direction at the bottom to get to Café des Près.
Pourcel Café & Bistro
5-1-27 Minami-Azabu
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Tel: (03) 3448-0039
Café hours: 10:30 - 24:00 (L.O. 23:00)
Bistro lunch: 11:30 - 14:00 (L.O.)
Bistro dinner: 18:00 - 22:00 (L.O.)
Google Map: Pourcel
